Talks about opening up India’s legal market fell off the table during President Obama’s much-publicized trip to that country, according to a lawyer who traveled with the president.

It’s still a tough economic climate out there, and it’s challenging law firms to do things they never would have considered before.

In their latest column, Joel Cohen and Katherine A. Helm turn their attention to the Gulf Coast oil spill and its impact on the perennial issue of when judges should recuse or be disqualified from hearing a particular case

A federal judge has granted shareholders’ request to have an independent examiner investigate whether creditors and the Washington Mutual estate are leaving billions on the table in a proposed settlement. The shareholders believe the proposed plan might shortchange the value of certain WaMu assets and of potentially explosive legal claims WaMu might make against JPMorgan. An examiner, to be appointed Monday, will issue a preliminary report by Sept

Chefs and restaurant owners have been opening new eateries in Oakland, Calif., right through the recession, and lawyers have been eager for a seat at the table. Local firms like Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean are stepping up their marketing efforts and plumbing their personal networks to raise their profiles. Chef Daniel Patterson, who is married to Wendel Rosen associate Alexandra Foote, says word of mouth is invaluable in the tight-knit culinary community, noting, “Restaurateurs are not very lawyer-savvy.”